


An Act of Love

by Madigan_45



Category: Rockman X | Mega Man X, Rockman | Mega Man - All Media Types
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-27
Updated: 2018-03-27
Packaged: 2019-04-13 17:42:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14117556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Madigan_45/pseuds/Madigan_45
Summary: X4 sure had a fun plot, you guys.Chapter 2: X catches up to Zero and Iris at the Final Weapon. Spoiler, someone's dead, and it's NOT Zero this time.





	1. Chapter 1

Just thirty more minutes, and X would be sitting pretty with Abel City’s Executive Council at City Hall to accept an award from the mayor. This award was being presented to him for going above and beyond the call of duty to defend mankind as primary commander of the Maverick Hunters. In the aftermath of Sigma’s devastating betrayal many years ago, X had been the one to step up and succeed the Maverick Hunters’ original leader, albeit reluctantly. Sigma's transition had been that from X’s first confidant to his first failure, and finally, to X's first true enemy. So three times—in order to maintain the peace between humans and reploids— _three times_ X fought as a soldier in the Maverick Wars. Beat the bad guy, save the day, be a hero. It wasn’t glorious. Frankly, it was a tragic struggle that X was getting sick of repeating over and over again. Being the hero too often meant retiring any reploid exhibiting Maverick behavior without hesitation or question. The irony that X was receiving a _humanitarian_ award for his part in the continual massacre of a species of sentient robots wasn’t lost on him. X might have even laughed a little bit (that kind of laugh you have to force out so you don’t cry instead) if he wasn’t so tired.

Ah, but there was _some_ good news at the end of the day. This ceremony for X would be the very first time that a reploid (X technically wasn’t a “reploid,” but he wasn’t going to nitpick about that) ever received public recognition for his good deeds from the humans in charge of running the city. It only took stopping the threat of total annihilation _three_ times, but X decided it was better than nothing.

X was in the middle of carefully folding over his tie (because God forbid the knot look crooked and he be judged as a heathen robot with no class) when Double came crashing in to his bedroom at the hotel suite. The little goofball had _insisted_ on coming along with X to pretty much act as his personal slave, not that X needed it, but leaving Double behind at Hunter HQ to be bullied just didn’t sit right with him. X wasn’t sure what Double’s creator had been thinking to design a short, round, clumsy reploid prone to panic attacks, but if Double _really_ wanted to wait on X hand on foot, who was X to argue? Besides, it was hilarious to watch Zero get jealous, not that X would ever admit that, because that would be _petty_.

“Sir! There’s a call for you! Your private line!” Double attempted to salute X, but he did so a little too enthusiastically and nearly knocked himself off balance.

Speak of the devil… If someone was calling X’s private line, there was only one guy it could be. Dr. Cain and Sigma had been the only other two people with access to X's private line, but of course, that was a long time ago. Zero was probably calling X to say good luck, and almost certainly to tease him. X could imagine his friend gasping and saying something like, “You’ll wear a suit and brush your hair for a bunch of crusty old humans but not for _me_?”

X resigned himself to the crooked tie situation for the moment and held out his hand for the communicator. “Thank you. I’ll take it.” He clipped the device over his wrist and pressed the center button to answer the call.

Imagine X’s surprise when instead of seeing a hologram of Zero’s face displayed in front of him, it was actually Zero’s navigator and resident sweetheart of the Repliforce, _Iris_. X hoped that his irritation wasn’t glaringly obvious. Dammit, Zero… X had already warned his friend about the dangers of keeping Iris around at HQ during the Repliforce’s hostile takeover. For a brief moment, X wondered if Zero was hurt, and maybe that was the reason Iris took Zero's communicator? X quickly dismissed that thought however. Back at HQ, Signas was keeping X constantly updated about the Repliforce situation, whether X wanted to hear it or not. If Zero was hurt, X would already know about it. “Iris… this is a private line between Zero and myself. Does he know that you’re using his communicator? Calling me like this is highly inappropriate.”

“X, wait, don’t hang up!” The desperation in Iris’s voice gave X pause. She sounded on the verge of tears. Inappropriate or not, it was hard to just turn a cold shoulder to her pleas. Before X could say anything though, Double interjected in his usual overprotective way.

“ _Madam_ , Commander X is due to accept an award for outstanding achievements from the _mayor_ of Abel City! He doesn’t have time for your hysterics!”

Although Double was certainly correct, X held up a hand to silence him. “It’s okay. I can handle this. You can speak this one time, Iris, but be warned, I won’t tolerate a breach of communication from you again.”

Iris didn’t have the nerve to look apologetic or even embarrassed by X’s scolding, which was a bit unsettling, considering how meek and soft-spoken she normally was. “X, my brother is at the Space Harbor, and Zero is planning to fight him… You have to order him to stand down! Please, he won’t listen to me!”

“Iris, I can’t order Zero to stand down from his duty as a Maverick Hunter,” X tried to explain gently.

“Yes you _can_! You’re the _Commander_ of the Maverick Hunters! He _has_ to listen to you!” Iris screamed so loudly that it caused the projection of her face to stutter.

X winced, feeling his chest tighten upon seeing Iris’s pain so fully on display. He honestly wanted to look away from her, but he kept his gaze forward. “Compelling Zero not to fight your brother by force of authority would be wrong, just like you trying to compel him by force of your feelings was wrong. You saw yourself how well that worked out.”

“You don’t understand, X! I love him! I… I’ve loved him since the moment I first saw him!” Iris was babbling now, almost incoherent. “I don’t want him to get hurt, but if Zero fights my brother, then I…”

“ _Iris_ ,” X said firmly, trying to snap her back to reality. This was difficult. X could either tell her what she wanted to hear, or what she _needed_ to hear. “Love takes time and hard work, Iris. You haven’t known Zero long enough to have put either of those things into your relationship yet. I know you won't like what I'm telling you, but if you try to make Zero choose between you and his mission…” X paused, as if he was hesitating to finish, but eventually his eyes hardened. “ _The mission is more important_.”

“Sir, you’re going to be late…” Double warned.

X frowned, but Double was right. Since he didn’t have the time to fix his tie anymore, X ripped it off and threw it aside. “Iris, I need to go. I’ll make an excuse to skip dinner and the after party, and I’ll report to the Space Harbor as soon as I can. Please, just… stay where you are. Don’t do anything reckless.” Iris had been staring at X in silence with wretched, empty looking eyes. X wasn’t sure if this was better or worse than earlier, but it concerned him all the same. “I can’t make any promises about Zero or your brother, but I’ll try to get there and see what I can do.”

Iris smiled at him, but it lacked any joy or kindness. “I suppose I never really stood a chance, did I, X? And if things are going to happen this way… there isn’t any hope for us now.”

X shook his head, not liking _at all_ what Iris seemed to be implying. “Iris—”

“Goodbye, X. Please take care of him for me.” Iris cut the communication link.

Well, _fuck_.

“Double, have the coordinates to the Space Harbor prepared for me, will you? I’m going to need to get the hell out of here as fast as I can once I accept this award.” X pulled his sleeve down over the communicator and closed his eyes. He spent a lot of time practicing just to be ready for these moments. Moments when he would lie and convince everyone around him that he had all the answers. Moments when he would smile and appear unfazed even as the world was crashing down around him. It was what a leader had to do, after all.


	2. Chapter 2

X arrived at the Space Harbor within an hour of Iris’s call, but it was already too late. There was no sign of Zero or Colonel, just the scorch marks of reploid boots left behind on an abandoned runway. X tapped the side of his helmet, checking to see if Zero was still accessible via the Special 0 Unit’s frequency, but the only input he received back was static. Zero was already in space. X switched over to Hunter HQ’s universal frequency. “This is Commander X! I’m at the Space Harbor! Alia? Signas? One of you report in! What happened here?”

“X?” It was Signas who responded to him, X’s ever so dutiful right hand man. Signas sounded caught off guard, a rarity for him, but then again, X was _supposed_ to be at a banquet with the mayor, not running around former enemy territory. “Sir, why are you there? I thought—”

“What happened here?” X repeated impatiently.

“Captain Zero defeated Colonel in battle, but it seems Colonel sacrificed himself to allow the Repliforce nation to ascend into orbit. Zero left in pursuit a short time ago. He’s currently infiltrating the Final Weapon.”

“What about Iris?” X asked.

A pause. “We believe that she willingly boarded the Final Weapon during the battle between Zero and Colonel.”

“Does Zero already know that she…” X huffed in frustration. There was no time for this! “Never mind! Just get me up there! Right now!” X made a mental note to apologize to Signas later, but in the moment, all he cared about was getting to his friend before Iris hurt him, very possibly in a way that Zero wouldn’t recover from.

“Sir, I have to tell you the same thing I told Zero. I can transport you to the Final Weapon, but once you’re up there, you’ll be out of range from Hunter HQ’s communications. We won’t be able to contact you, and you’ll have to find your own way back to Earth.”

“That’s _fine_ ,” X grumbled.

“…X, I wouldn’t be doing my job properly if I didn’t inform you that this is a _bad_ idea. There are simply too many variables. I said the same thing to Zero as well. I thought that maybe compared to him _you_ would be at least a little bit more sensible—”

“ _Do not_ try to pull this on me right now, Signas!” X snapped. “I wouldn’t be doing _my_ job properly if I just let the Repliforce sit up there with a doomsday weapon pointed down at our city!”

Thankfully, Signas didn’t argue anymore. “Very well. Prepare for teleportation in thirty seconds. Please stand by.”

X pushed his arm out to the side, flexing his fingers briefly before transfiguring over to the X-Buster. “Outfit the Force Armor.” X’s blue armor pieces dematerialized into a cluster of energy crystals, reforming into the advanced white battle suit with blue and golden accents. X gave a silent thanks to Dr. Light for all of his upgrades (the man worked harder in death than most humans and reploids still alive). Shortly after, he sensed a familiar tingle around his body, like pins and needles. X felt weightless for a brief moment before vanishing into a beam of blue light.

~*~

“…I wanted to live in a world where only reploids exist… with you…”

“Iris…!”

Voices echoed inside a large room with a high ceiling. Iris must have been waiting for Zero at the Final Weapon’s hangar, but waiting there for what exactly? To confront him over Colonel’s death? To capture him? …To kill him?

X’s steps were slow and careful through the corridor, that is, until he heard Zero’s anguished scream. X immediately kicked on his thrusters and dashed forward as fast as his body would allow. He didn’t know what to expect, what he might see as he drew closer to Iris and his friend, but if she had hurt Zero in _any_ way… Well, X honestly didn’t know what he might do in that case, but he felt dizzy, like he was reaching a whole new level of pissed off that he hadn’t experienced since the first war, when Vile had…

Zero’s back was turned to X. He was on his knees, and Iris was… _oh_. Zero cradled her body in his arms. She was no longer responsive. X hesitated at first, unsure of how Zero might react to his presence, but concern pulled him forward bit by bit, until he was close enough to place a hand down on friend’s shoulder. “…Zero…” X tensed slightly, almost anticipating for Zero to turn around and attack him, but Zero didn’t move. Zero didn’t speak or acknowledge him at all. X almost called his name again, but he had to step back as Zero placed Iris down gently to the floor and rose to his feet. X took the opportunity to glance down at Iris’s body. Barely a scratch on her… If Zero had struck her down, if there had been a _fight_ , surely there would be more external damage? X wanted to ask Zero what exactly had happened, but it didn’t seem appropriate to do so in that moment. Either way, it certainly didn’t look like _Zero_ had killed her. Perhaps Iris had ceased functions of her own accord?

“I don’t know why you’re here,” Zero finally whispered, his voice cold, with a slight edge to it.

X was hurt by Zero’s tone, but he tried to push it aside. “I’m here because you need me.”

“Need you?!” Zero swiveled around to face X. His eyes were angry and wild. “What are you trying to say?! I need my _Commander_ here because I can’t handle the job?! You sure thought I could handle the job _just fine_ on my own that whole time you were sitting up there in your luxury suite, letting those humans pat you on the back and pretend to give a damn about you!”

“You need your best friend, Zero,” X said softly.

“So you’re here NOW?! When it’s too late for you to even DO anything?!” Zero flung his arm down toward Iris’s body. “She’s DEAD, X! Where were you fifteen minutes ago, when she was still able to speak to me?! Where were you an hour ago, when I had to fight her brother?! Where were you when the Repliforce _began the coup_?!”

“I communicated with General over a video conference after he declared his intentions, and I _warned_ him—”

“ _Warned_ him?! Did you even TRY to negotiate, X?! Or was the great _Commander of the Maverick Hunters_ too concerned about missing his _vacation_ and pointless little reward ceremony to be bothered to DO HIS JOB?! If it’s not Sigma, it’s not worth your precious time, is it?!”

All right, X knew Zero was upset and he needed to vent, but X had his limits too. “Zero…”

“I had to kill someone that I _loved_ , X! I…” Zero trailed off, like even _he_ couldn’t believe what just came out of his own mouth. X, for his part, stared back at Zero slack jawed.

“Are you _crazy_? You just met her a couple months ago! You only talked to her a handful of times outside of your missions! You didn’t _love_ her!”

“She loved _me_ , X!” Zero shouted back. “She loved me, trusted me, was counting on me to find a peaceful resolution to all this, a-and I… I failed her… First I fought with Colonel against her wishes, and then… If _you_ had been there! If _you_ had been the one to confront Colonel at Sky Lagoon instead of me—”

“Excuse me?” X cut in, disbelieving. “You followed regulations. You asked him to disarm and come back to Hunter HQ with you. I would have done the exact same thing in your place. Colonel refused. He said that he would prefer _war_ over dishonor and shame. Such ridiculous pride sentenced the Repliforce to death right then and there.”

“And Iris too?” Zero asked in a broken voice. “She didn’t want anything but _peace_ , X! She didn’t deserve to be killed!”

X stepped right up to Zero and grabbed his shoulder guard. “Iris was _not_ innocent,” X said, more coldly than he intended. “She was complicit in _everything_ the Repliforce and her brother were doing. If she only wanted peace, then why didn’t she say something during the occupation of Abel City? Why the hell did she board a space colony armed with a weapon strong enough to severely damage the Earth? That is a _threat_ , Zero! The Repliforce scorned humanity and then ran away up here to hide behind their cannon! They've had no reservations about killing any human _or_ reploid who disagrees with their definition of independence!” X stopped in order to process Zero’s reaction for a moment. “...Of course I understand that Iris was devastated after losing her brother… but Colonel challenged _you_ , Zero, not the other way around. What were you supposed to do? Give up and die?”

Zero hung his head in shame. “…Maybe… If it meant not taking Iris’s brother away from her.”

“Oh, right, because _nothing_ is more important than letting the two murderous, hypocritical siblings stay together like a _happy_ family.” X practically _sneered_ those words, something so out of character for him that Zero couldn’t help but gawk at his partner with large, stunned eyes. “You care _so much_ about taking Colonel away from Iris, _so much_ that you’re questioning whether or not it would have been better for _you_ to die instead? _Really, Zero_?!” X slammed his boot down in frustration, gritting his teeth. “Yet somehow you don’t care at all about how _I_ would feel! You don’t care at all that Colonel would have taken _you_ away from _me_!”

“X…” Zero didn’t know how to respond. “That’s… different. I mean, you’re _strong_.” Zero knew that his words sounded pathetic, but the hole was already dug. “You’ve already dealt with it before—”

“And you would make me go through that _again_?!” X cried. “For the sake of some _twit_ who used her own death as a means to _spite you_ because she didn’t get her way?!”

Zero’s mouth drew into a thin line. “X—”

“For the sake of some MAVERICK?!”

“DON’T CALL HER THAT!” Zero roared, clenching his fist like he was ready to punch X across the face, but his anger died almost as quickly as it came. His fingers slowly released, leaving just his unsteady hand in the air.

There was a long, awkward silence between the two, until X reached out for Zero's hand and squeezed it, trying to refocus their attention. “…I’m sorry, Zero. I know you believed right up to the very end that you would be able to get through to her. Iris may have even thought that she loved you, but she only loved her fantasy version of you.”

“How can you talk to me like you understand any of this, X?” Zero whispered bitterly.

X averted his eyes, obviously clamming up, obviously not wanting to answer.

Zero took hold of his friend’s arms, desperate for _something_ , some kind of confirmation, some kind of wisdom, some kind of relief or retribution… some kind of _miracle_ to make things okay again.

When Zero refused to let him go, X finally sighed and focused his weary eyes on Zero’s face. “I understand because a long time ago, I witnessed an act of love myself, _real love_ , an act of love for _me_. This reploid loved me enough to keep me safe, to protect me, even at the cost of his own life.”

 _Oh_. Zero bit his bottom lip, but it did nothing to calm the sudden, rapid pulsing of his core. X wasn’t really… “X—”

X put his fingers over Zero’s lips to shush him. “Thank God I was given the opportunity to return his act of love, or we wouldn’t be standing here now. His act of love saved my life, and my act of love brought him home. It’s been that way between us ever since, the two of us loving each other, even if we never say it out loud.”

Zero closed his eyes, his shoulders trembling. There was such an _ache_ in his body… but he could do nothing with it, could do nothing to alleviate it. “Dammit…”

“…Why are you crying, Zero?”

Zero barked out a laugh. “I’m not crying. I _wish_ I was crying. I couldn’t cry for Iris and I can’t even cry now, for _you_ , after everything you told me.”

“You don’t need tears to cry.” Zero wasn’t surprised when X reached out and hugged him, but when X leaned in to press a kiss to the middle of Zero’s helmet gem… “Sometimes the tears don’t come, but you’re crying all the same. Please don’t cry anymore, Zero.”

It took less than a second for Zero to crumble against X, clinging to his arms for support, barely managing to stay on his feet. “ _X_ —” Zero’s voice heaved. “X, I want… I want to take you away from here, away from all this. I want to stop all the fighting. I want to change this stupid world so it can’t hurt you anymore… I-I think…” Zero swallowed thickly. “I think I want to kiss you.”

Zero’s back hit the sheet metal panels of the hangar wall. It took Zero a moment to realize that X had pushed him away, and for a split second, the absolute _worst_ pain imaginable stabbed him cold. Zero wanted to scream, to sob—a small, sick, _dark_ part of him wanted to slam X down to the concrete below and tell him _NO you’re mine to do with as I please_ —but X stepped forward. He took Zero’s hands, pressed them into the wall, closed the distance until their lips were _just_ … It took every ounce of self-control in Zero’s body to remain still.

_No. Don’t stop there. Don’t stop, X._

“ _Please_ …” Zero breathed, his voice raw. Zero’s eyes fell closed when X finally kissed him, and the kiss burned like _fire_. The sensation of X’s mouth, the pulsing of X’s core, the flood of data from X’s processor into Zero’s own… Acting like a human, experiencing emotions like a human, that was all part of X’s configuration, not Zero’s. Zero tried to sympathize with his friend whenever X’s emotions became too overwhelming, but the truth was, more often than not, Zero simply couldn’t understand. _This_ , however… Zero could understand this. Desire. Longing. _Need_. X poured his emotions into every current of Zero’s circuits, and Zero responded in turn.

_I love you. I love you. I love you too._

Zero audibly choked when X pulled away from the kiss, cutting off their link. It was too sudden—like violently ripping a plug from an outlet—Zero wasn’t ready for it to end. “X—”

“ _Iris_ ,” X whispered, sounding horrified. “We just… and she's right _there_ , I…” X looked back over his shoulder, equal parts mournful and mortified. No matter how much X may have disliked or disagreed with her ideals… she was _dead_ now, and X felt ashamed just forgetting about her. Yes, he and Zero had been caught up in a moment of passion, but that was no excuse to _make out over a corpse_ — “Take her back,” X said quickly. "HQ could repair her."

“No… no, X.” Zero's hand covered over the blue gem of his helmet. "Repairing and reactivating reploids who go Maverick is against regulations. You _know_ that—”

“Nobody needs to know,” X said weakly. It was a terrible thing to suggest, and yet…

Zero hesitated, as if he was considering the idea, but ultimately he just shook his head sadly. “…She didn't want to live anymore without the person she loved most. I… I know how she feels, I think. At least a little bit. I want to honor her decision.”

X cupped Zero's cheek briefly before stepping away. “I have to go. The Earth isn’t safe yet. I have to make sure that cannon is destroyed. Zero… you should return to HQ. Take one of the emergency shuttles here. You’ve done enough. You’ve gone through enough.” X’s voice hitched, but his eyes were _searing_. “…We’ll do the rest _after_ I return.”

The rest… after he returned… Wait… Zero barely had the time to process what was said before X moved, but Zero surged forward immediately and grabbed him, as if on autopilot. “No. I’m going with you.” X looked ready to protest, but Zero shook his head. “Iris is gone, but _you_ —I _refuse_ —I-I can’t, X. I can’t lose you too. I _won’t_. You have to understand.” Zero was practically begging, but now wasn’t the time to feel self-conscious. “You said that I needed you before. You were right. And now… you need me.”

“…Okay, Zero.” X’s expression softened. “Please support me.”

“Always, X.”

~*~

In hindsight, it seemed almost obvious that Sigma had been the one pulling General’s strings all along. X in particular took the revelation incredibly hard, since he always felt like it was his own personal responsibility to stop Sigma. And yes, X could _stop_ Sigma, but truly _finish_ _him_ was apparently a whole other matter entirely. Logically, there was no way for Sigma to yet again survive his defeat, this time at the hands of X and Zero together. Logically, he should be lost in the vastness of space, along with the Final Weapon, its cannon, and all history of the military organization once known as the Repliforce. Logically… but _logically_ X thought he’d gotten rid of Sigma the last _three times_ as well…  

During the battle with Sigma, X seemed like an entirely different person to Zero. He was angry and primal. He held nothing back. His entire being was poured into the fight, with no hesitations or regrets. All of that energy and focus directed at _Sigma_ of all things… If he were being honest, Zero felt a tiny bit jealous. He almost wanted—almost _craved_ —for X to engage _him_ with that same kind of ferocity. It was a stupid and puzzling thing to wish for, and Zero knew it didn’t make any sense. X was his best friend, _more_ than that now, and Zero never wanted to fight him, and yet… hmm…

Even with Sigma dispatched, General had been forced to sacrifice himself to stop the cannon from firing upon the Earth, leaving X and Zero with barely enough time to haul ass back to the hangar, commandeer a means of transportation, and escape the doomed Final Weapon before its detonation. They were cramped together tightly, with Zero at the controls, and X sandwiched between the pilot’s chair and the small aircraft’s interior walls. X looked miserable, sitting there hugging his knees with one arm, holding his head with the other. Zero overwhelmingly wanted to drop the wheel and hold X close, but he had to concentrate on getting them home. He opted instead to pull X clumsily against his leg.

X exhaled softly at the contact. “Zero…”

“I’m sorry for what I put you through, X. I’m sorry that I didn’t understand my own heart or what I wanted. I’m sorry that I was… well, stupid.” Zero winced. “Iris’s death was devastating to me, but… not because I loved her. I think I was projecting my own fears onto her. If even _Iris_ , a reploid specifically programmed to seek out _peace_ , can go _Maverick_ … what chance do the rest of us have? What chance do _I_ have? Do you… do you ever wonder if you’ll go Maverick too, X?”

X didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”

Perhaps Zero shouldn’t have asked the question if he didn’t want the answer, because hearing X admit to having the same exact fear as every other reploid was devastating. If _any_ reploid was incapable of doing wrong, that reploid _had_ to be X, and if Zero fought by X’s side, Zero _had_ to be good by association… right? Zero laughed weakly. “Don’t be ridiculous. You would never go Maverick.”

“But if I do… you have to take care of me.”

Zero shook his head sharply. “No. Please don’t say that. I would do _anything_ for you, but…”

“It’s our burden to share, Zero,” X explained. “I would do the same for you. If one of us goes Maverick, the other has to retire him… One final act of love, okay?”

Zero didn’t answer, and X didn’t press, but the agreement was understood and accepted.

Several hours later, after all the appropriate documents were signed and filed away, after all the questions regarding the operation were answered to satisfaction, after all the scans and repairs were completed, X and Zero drifted off to the HQ dorms, inside the privacy of X’s room. There were so many new connections for them to experience together, and so many years to make up for. They touched, through kisses and fingertips, through lines of data passed back and forth between them.

_Love you. Need you. COMPLETE you._

Every directive X sent through Zero’s processor hit him like a shock wave, spreading out from his core to the rest of his body, leaving residual affects of warmth and pleasure. Zero didn’t know what the hell he’d been doing his whole life _not_ syncing with X, but lesson fucking learned. The numbness Zero always seemed to carry in the pit of his stomach was gone. There was… something else instead. He felt something else _amazing_ —

And X pulled away to laugh at him.

“What?” Zero grunted, squinting his eyes at X in annoyance.  

X slid his hands through Zero’s hair, smiling. “Sorry. You’re just projecting so much emotion… It felt like my core was going to burst out of my chest.”

“ _My_ emotions are too much for _you_ to process?” Zero asked, raising an eyebrow. That was hard to believe.

“You’re _happy_ , Zero. It’s wonderful. I just… It seems like you haven’t felt this way in a long, long time, but you’re sharing it with me… Thank you.”

Zero placed his hand at the back of X's neck, bidding him to come forward once again. “…I want to share _everything_ with you, X.”

X nodded, gently pressed their lips back together, and in that moment, all was right with the world.


End file.
